how steady is steady

[Cass]

Insist that she does not run in ever. No head swinging, no feet moving, no butt lift, no movement. There is no reason a dog should ever break on a dummy. When I see this question being asked, to me it is not asking anything about the dog or the dog's capability. This is a question about the handler and whether or not they can have an excuse for a dog that "occasionally runs in". Food for thought.

[ips]

All good info.

Naj
Honestly it is about 1 in 30 and a few other times she twitches but checks herself. She definitely knows when she messed up. I do like you no reward no praise just take the dummy and do it again, I cant remember the last time she ran in consecutively. Pretty sure its if I rush the throw before ensuring she is settled.
I am quite pleased with the progress but I accept its work in progress.

[ips]

Lo

Insist that she does not run in ever. No head swinging, no feet moving, no butt lift, no movement. There is no reason a dog should ever break on a dummy. When I see this question being asked, to me it is not asking anything about the dog or the dog's capability. This is a question about the handler and whether or not they can have an excuse for a dog that "occasionally runs in". Food for thought.

Food for thought indeed

[ips]

I like place boards to train steadiness - they give the dog a very firm area to stay within when earning the boundaries of sit means sit. I don't chastise mine in any other way for trying to leave a board than a verbal No! And lifting them back on to the board. Initially I only release them from the board by lifting them off also (puppies). There's plenty of good articles about this best way to use place boards.

As for Eze, I'd stop letting her run in. If she needs to "blow off steam" before you work on something harder then start your session with 3-4 very long retrieves from a ball flinger to take the edge off her. While you're working on steadiness put the lead on to throw these. Once she's settled start your training "proper".

I would also be mixing it up and keeping things interesting for her - It sounds (and this may be wrong!) like she goes to the same field every day and does the same short marked retrieves....? I would have sessions just hunting her, ones working just on memories (make them longer, send her back at an angle for it etc). Start left and rights - sit her up back to a hedge, stand in front of her and throw the dummy to the side.

Seems the consensus is to stop the allowed run in to ball, not overly keen on this for two reasons. ,a, she does seem to understand the difference between ball and dummy therefore I can use it as a reward ,b, I like to have some down time with her and watch her play about.

I do my best to mix it up with long blinds, memories and marked plus I hunt her and do some heel and stop work. Yes we do go to same field everyday but also in other areas every few days. During these other areas I try to proof the stuff we do in field.

Tis jolly good fun this training malarkey.

[trekmoor]

Do you ever take her into thick woodlands with lots of cover and have her hunt and retrieve there ?

Wullie

[ips]

Yes I have done wullie but not for a month or so, hoping to find suitable place at Moffat at the weekend

[Springfield Pointers]

Seems the consensus is to stop the allowed run in to ball, not overly keen on this for two reasons. ,a, she does seem to understand the difference between ball and dummy therefore I can use it as a reward ,b, I like to have some down time with her and watch her play about.

Wasn't this issue dealt with some months ago in a previous post of yours?

No. It is not clever to allow a run in.

[ips]

Yes it was SP we just came full circle during the thread

[Springfield Pointers]

Yes it was SP we just came full circle during the thread

Just confused then how you can still see it as an acceptable idea?

[ips]

Your confused, imagine being me

As I have said before Mrs ips chucks a ball with run ins and god knows what. Plus I did set off originally to train for exactly this (in fact one of my very first posts was to ask if this was at all possible, so at least there is one thing I remained pretty consistent on) steady to dummies and game but ball is for play do what you want with it. I did to stop run in with ball for a week or so to see if there was any benefit but i found it tedious as I do enjoy her free play and I have and do use the ball to good effect as a reward. She definitely knows the difference and what is expected so in my defence I think my consistency in that has paid off so I am taking the liberty of awarding myself a pat on the back.

Just back from field in glorious sunshine, no run ins some good stops.